On Friday, October 20th, 2017, Governor Cuomo announced $2.3 million in urban forestry grants statewide, with the Village of Port Chester being awarded close to $100,000 for two projects.

In the winter of 2017, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation opened the 2017 round of the Urban and Community Forestry Grant program, which is funded through New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

The Village of Port Chester’s Department of Planning & Economic Development, in partnership with Millennium Strategies, Inc., and with support from the Village of Port Chester Beautification Commission, applied for two initiatives through the program: $50,000 for a Comprehensive Tree Inventory and

$50,000 for a Tree Management & Maintenance Plan. Ultimately, the Village was awarded $50,000 for the tree inventory and $42,250 for the management and maintenance plan.

The tree inventory will focus on identifying, cataloguing and analyzing the condition of all trees and planting spaces within the Village of Port Chester’s right-of-way, which includes streets, parks and public spaces. The tree management and maintenance plan will create a comprehensive strategy for the Village to better manage its tree assets, as well as identify new locations for where trees could be planted throughout the Village. Following these projects, the Village could pursue an aggressive tree planting strategy to increase its urban tree canopy.

Trees provide a number of benefits, including reduced stormwater runoff, cleaner air, better shade cover, improved local ecology, and even improved physical and mental health.

“These investments will help improve the quality of life in New York neighborhoods by supporting the replacement of trees impacted by invasive pests,” Governor Cuomo said. “Every New Yorker deserves access to clean air, and through these urban forestry grants, we are promoting the benefits of planting new trees to support a better, healthier New York for all.”

The Village of Port Chester’s grant award is almost double the second highest award in Westchester County, and one of the highest in the state. This award further highlights how the Village’s aggressive grant program is seeking to lighten the burden on Village taxpayers.